Starting to lay over the winter?

[MissChick@dee]

If you don’t want them sleeping & pooping in the nesting boxes close them off right at dusk then open them at dawn. You can use a piece of chicken wire or buckets or boards whatever you have handy. Eventually they learn. Their still young and first eggs can be a bit confusing for them...and us!
Best wishes

 

[GC-Raptor]

My 19 weeks old Barred Rocks Started to squat last week Wednesday, and half are now squatting.
I added ceramic eggs to the nest boxes and they were checking and pecking at them.
I open the coops at 5 am daily and turn on the lights.
Today instead of going to the feeder and waterer when I turned on the lights, one girl checked out a nest box.
I hope she's close. Would like to find a pullet egg today.

As far as sleeping in nest boxes. I had a hen from my first Flock decide to sleep in a nest.
If you have conventional size nests. A Gallon size bottle of vinegar or windshield washer fit my nests boxes. . I wedge them in an hour before sunset and removed them at 5 am. Or you can remove them after sunset when you lockup. GC

 

[MissChick@dee]

Oh I’m hoping you’ll have those breakfast eggs & toast soon
What a clever idea using the gallon jugs! ~smart ~

*i just might steal that idea*

 

[Melky]

I have a question for the more experienced than I. We have a brand new flock of five hens (Rhode island red, welsummer, Easter egger, BPR, golden laced Wyandotte). They were born in mid-june, and we have had them since they were 3 days old. They have not started laying yet, but some of them are starting to squat, their Combs are bright red and at least a couple of them have a widened pelvic area of two fingers (instead of one). We do not have them with supplemental light, so my question is whether we should open up the nesting boxes over the winter. Is there any chance of them actually starting to lay here in western New York before spring? We had the nesting boxes open four to six weeks ago, but they were using it as a latrine. I made a new roosting bar even higher than the nesting boxes, and closed up the nesting boxes to force them to use the higher roosting bar, and they're using it now, but I'm worried about opening nesting boxes up and then going back to having a bad habit if they're not actually going to lay yet. Thoughts? If you don't think I should open up the nesting boxes yet, when do you think I should? February, March? Thanks!! Katelyn

I would open up the nesting boxes during the day and close at night. I have one new Pullet who started at 28 weeks right now and lays an egg almost every day. Waiting for three more to lay.
I did same as you, closed my boxes and gave up till spring. My girl lays in the back of the coop as a result and now I’m trying to train her to go in the nesting box. My girls hatched first week of June. This may give you an idea of timeline. Your larger birds will lay later than smaller ones. My first layer is my Golden Buff. I also have BR and Speckled Sussex for breeds who have not layed. I do not do supplemental lighting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would open up the nest boxes now for 2 reasons: 1) they are probably getting close to laying and 2) you want to find out now if they're going to go back to sleeping in the nests, rather than waiting until there's already eggs and they end up pooping on them. In my experience once they begin squatting you'll get eggs in 10-20 days from onset of squatting.

Melky added another reason, you don't want to teach them to lay somewhere other than your nests. I'll add another reason to get those nests open this morning. Sometimes the pullets check out possible nesting places before they start to lay. That usually involves scratching. If you find your nesting material and fake eggs on the floor it could be a sign you need to raise the lip on your nests to keep the nesting material and real eggs in.

I can understand blocking the nests to train them to sleep on the roosts instead if you have a problem with them sleeping in the nests. As long as you have adequate roosts for your flock and the roosts are higher than the nest that's usually not a problem but it can be. If some or all sleep in the nests there is a reason. I'd want to know that far in advance of them starting to lay so I can have it fixed before they start to lay.

Like many others I've had pullets and hens that are over the molt start to lay in early December and I do not extend the lights.

 

[aart]

A Gallon size bottle of vinegar or windshield washer fit my nests boxes.

Mine would toss those right out by crawling under them.

Since I have chicks every year I rigged a permanent hinged nest cover, always ready when I need it...works good for broody breaking management too. I close cover an hour before roost time, then uncover when I lock up after dark.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My 19 weeks old Barred Rocks Started to squat last week Wednesday, and half are now squatting.

Ooh! My BR is squatting, too! Noticed for the first time on Christmas! I'm nothing really large droppings under her roost, too. I am SO EXCITED for us!!!! Be sure to post pics of those first eggs!!!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Mine would toss those right out by crawling under them.

I wedged them in. Only me or Super Chicken could remove them. GC